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As you’d expect, it’s the higher-end Surface devices that are getting those heftier discounts. The Surface Laptop 2 gets $100 off its base model, for example, but $300 off any configuration above that. There’s a similar format for the Surface Book 2, save one extra tier. It’s base model is $50 off, the i5 8GB model $200 off, and everything else is $300 off. Meanwhile, Surface Pro 6 fans will note $200 off all i5 model and a $300 discount on ones with i7 processors....

This means when a program member conducts a web search from the Windows Search bar they will earn points. Of course, this will be one of the easiest ways to earn points on Microsoft Rewards. Like other areas of the loyalty program, those points can be used on items on the Microsoft Store. For example, points can be redeemed to get movies, music, apps, games, and even hardware. Users can choose to use their points to make charitable donations....

If you are unfamiliar with OOS, it is Microsoft’s online server-based version of the Office productivity suite. It gives enterprise customers a platform to use browser-based versions of popular Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. The service allows Office Online features to be used directly from an organization’s own datacenter. The company says customers can download the April 17 release via the Volume Servicing Center. If you do not have previous OOS builds, you will have to download these versions first....

Smith went as far as to name Apple directly this time. The Subcommittee has been set up to investigate competition in the digital tech market. Major companies are represented and will speak before the committee, including Apple CEO Tim Cook. It is worth noting the Subcommittee cannot enact any changes but will instead compile a report for Congress. It’s also worth pointing out that Microsoft was not part of the investigation....

Analysts predicted $1 billion less than Microsoft’s outcome, the company surging ahead due to a 90% year-over-year revenue increase in Azure revenue. The increase puts the company’s commercial cloud revenue for this quarter at $5 billion. Meanwhile, operating income sat at $7.7 billion, increasing by 15%, and diluted earnings per share increased 17% to $0.84. “This quarter we exceeded $20 billion in commercial cloud ARR, outpacing the goal we set just over two years ago,” said CEO Satya Nadella in a press release....

To reflect the success of Satya Nadella in the Microsoft hot-seat, he has won the Comparably award as 2018’s Best CEO. The victory came in the company’s annual Best CEOs award. This yearly prize is decided upon ratings provided by employees. In other words, Comparably.com asks employees to rate their CEO. It seems Microsoft employees love Nadella enough to have voted him as No.1. “Microsoft had thousands of employees partake in the study....

Still, Microsoft is not adding new features to either the Surface Duo or Surface Duo 2. Instead, the updates focus on improvements to the general user experience. Here is the change log for the Surface Duo and the changelog for the Surface Duo 2: Surface Duo August 2022 Update Software version: 2022.519.29 Addresses scenarios outlined in the Android Security Bulletin—August 2022. Improves device stability. Surface Duo 2 August 2022 Update Software version: 2022....

Of course, both devices will come with refreshed specifications. We have already heard plenty about the Surface Book 3, including several benchmarks. Information on the Surface Go 2 have been more infrequent. Today, WinFuture has discovered some photos of the upcoming device and also some of its core specs. As you can see in the images, the Surface Go 2 does not look different to the previous model. That’s not rare for a Surface product because Microsoft likes a uniformed design across generations....

In the release notes for the new build, Microsoft explains what the news and interests section of the Windows taskbar provides: “With news and interests on the Windows taskbar, not only do you get quick access to the latest headlines and weather, but you also get real-time traffic conditions and alerts that update throughout the day. If you click on the Traffic card, you’ll see details on the traffic alerts, traffic cameras, and traffic times between nearby cities with a bigger map experience,” Microsoft explains....

Windows ML through WinML APIs gives developers tools to use AI in their apps. By training models in the cloud, dev’s can export the AI to their apps in ONNX format through Visual Studio. The platform will use existing GPU hardware on a device to deal with AI workloads evaluations. As for the Intel VPU, it has been custom created to accelerate machine learning workloads on devices. Movidius Myriad X is the first system-on-a-chip in the world to provide a dedicated Neural Compute Engine that helps boost deep learning inferences....

Microsoft told users to update the driver, but the patch did not work and Windows 10 version 1903 still caused an error. In an updated support document, Microsoft says it is now working on a fix and it will be ready by the end of the month. “We are working on a resolution and estimate a solution will be available in late August,” the support document reads. Until that fix is rolled out, users attempting to update to the May 2019 Update with affected Intel Rapid Storage will see the following message: “Intel Rapid Storage Technology (Intel RST): The inbox storage driver iastora....

The company is running a Bug Bash starting today, running it through to July 23. Microsoft says this will be the bash it uses to solidify Windows 10 FCU before it launches this fall: “The Bug Bash will start at 12am (Pacific Time) on Friday July 14th and will run a full week ending at 11:59 pm (Pacific Time) on Sunday July 23rd. This build will be our Bug Bash build....

While we would wager not many people use Movies and TV, Microsoft has kept its app up and running. Even more surprising, it seems Redmond has future plans for the service. According to a tweet by Microsoft employee Rudy Huyn, Movies and TV will receive ongoing development. You may remember Huyn was a long-time Microsoft employee who left for Dropbox five years ago and returned to Redmond in September. In his tweet, he says Microsoft is seeking a “Senior Engineer” to help “build the future of Microsoft Movies & TV”....

If you are unfamiliar with Your Phone, it is a service that lets users mirror their Android smartphone on a Windows 10 PC. As interesting as the feature is, in preview it has been limited. Microsoft promised it would allow Your Phone to connect Android applications to Windows 10. At its event yesterday, the company fulfilled its promise. Shilpa Ranganathan, GM of mobile product experience for Microsoft, highlighted the company’s ambitions: “We want you to move from your Surface, to your phone, and back to your Surface whenever you choose....

Microsoft is still not saying when the first third party will be available on the Microsoft Store, it seems that Windows 11 users may get them soon. Official information posted on the Microsoft Learn website shows descriptions on Windows Widgets in general. The document highlights UI elements, components, manuals, and design help to give developers tools to get started. Details Furthermore, Microsoft also points to guiding principles that can result in the best user experience on Windows 11....

The company now says it will not stop selling open source apps after all. The original change to its terms and conditions under section 10.8.7 stated the following: “Not attempt to profit from open-source or other software that is otherwise generally available for free, nor be priced irrationally high relative to the features and functionality provided by your product.” However, that update to the policy angered many developers and users....

In the latest indication the devices will be introduced earlier rather than later in 2021, leaked images for both the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop 4 have leaked online. Both images were found by Cozyplanes and posted on Twitter. Both images seem to be regulatory photos, like those we see for FCC filings. It is worth noting Microsoft updates Surface devices less frequently than the yearly bump we see smartphones get....

According to Microsoft via a post from chief lawyer Brad Smith, it will continue to provide cybersecurity support to digital systems in Ukraine, while also banning Russian content from its platforms. While private companies usually stay out of political conflicts, the Ukraine invasion is different. It is n all-out attack on a sovereign state that has already defied numerous international laws and conventions. Russia is likely to face severe ramifications for years to come, but currently tech companies are taking a stance by banning content coming from state sponsored sources....

Talking about divided opinions, there are two ways at looking at the demise of Windows 10X. Windows 10X was exactly that, a modular Windows that moves across form factors. So, some are disappointed that Microsoft has dropped the SKU. On the other side of the fence are those who believe if Microsoft wants a Windows 10 to skew all forms of hardware, why not build those changes into the full Windows 10 experience?...

The latest update for Microsoft Teams has added important new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Microsoft has also given an update on the expansion of the service over the last year. In a blog post, the company says Teams is now being used by over 200,000 organizations. Microsoft is pushing Teams as it core professional collaboration service. The company announced last year Skype for Business will fold into Microsoft Teams to form a single service....